It’s no secret that I’m a fan of quirky places and quirkier characters (like, for example Johnny Depp and the Queen of Goth, Winona Ryder), who both starred in Edward Scissorhands, the best 1960s-era gothic fairytale of my lifetime. That sweet motherless boy lives alone in a castle —never mind that producer Tim Burton had it built of Styrofoam at the bottom of a Tampa-area sinkhole— and he carves trees into deer and dinosaur topiaries in his front yard. He also gets into pet grooming and hairstyling, but that doesn’t totally work out. Anyway, topiaries and fake topiaries called mosaiculture sculptures pretty much went out of fashion around the 18th century. But guess what: they’re all the rage again! There are lollipop trees and Mad Hatters, bigger-than-life bears and honeybees and mythical creatures. Many are displayed during flower festivals and growing seasons, while some can be admired year-round. Starting this month and appearing at various places in 2024, here are some of my faves.
Karen T. Bartlett
Ice Goddess topiary at Atlanta Botanical Garden
Ice Goddess and the White Rabbit: Atlanta Botanical Garden
She’s 25-feet high from elbow to crown, draped in Earth’s ambience according to the season: cascades of spring greenery, summertime flowers, and very soon now, the ice-blue sparkle of a magical winter wonderland. When I last saw her, Earth Goddess was draped in a floral headdress of purple, orange and yellow. She seemed to be reflecting on the gentle waterfall spilling between her fingers. On November 18 she’ll be unveiled as Ice Goddess, a spellbinding vision of Arctic blue, green and white lights for the garden’s 57-day display, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.
Wait: there’s more! The Red Queen, the Cheshire Cat, Alice of course and the others from Alice’s Wonderland — one of the world’s most spectacular mosaiculture exhibits — will return for a spring 2024 exhibition. The 27-foot-high White Rabbit will make a preview appearance, temporarily decked out for the holidays in his upside-down umbrella against a backdropof the Atlanta skyline. atlantabg.org
Karen T. Bartlett
Princess Tiana topiary at Epcot
Princess Tiana: Epcot
Nowhere is Princess Tiana, the fearless New Orleans chef from the movie The Princess and the Frog as resplendent as she appeared at last year’s Epcot international Flower and Garden Festival. She’s coming back, joined by more than 100 living garden sculptures and Disney characters, starting in March. disneyworld.disney.go.com
Princess and Baby: The Camels of Newport Rhode Island
For several years, two very real camels summered at their own Newport, Rhode Island, Gilded Age mansion with their owner, an eccentric and fearsome tobacco heiress named Doris Duke. They roamed the grounds, dined on curated meals, and enjoyed spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. Nobody dared bother Ms. Duke about it. Today, guests of the mansion-turned-museum love taking selfies with the life-size mosaiculture reproductions of Princess and Baby, plus a few newer friends added over the years. newportmansions.org
Karen T. Bartlett
Green Animals - the oldest topiary garden in America
Green Animals: America’s Oldest Topiary Garden
Ten miles north of Newport is Green Animals, the oldest topiary garden in America. Not all 80 of its topiaries are elephants, unicorns or other creatures, and not all the creatures are topiaries. There also are ever-changing seasonal exhibits of Jurassic-size sculptures from steel bugs to Lego butterflies. It’s open from mid-April to early October. newportmansions.org
Bears and More: Dollywood
A whole family of mega-ton mosaiculture creatures travel from their home in Montreal each spring to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for Dollywood’s fantastic Flower & Food festival. Besides all the attraction’s regular family fun, this signature event also features food, music, and street performances. Dollywood opens for the season in March. The 2024 Flower & Food Festival is April 19 to June 9. dollywood.com
World’s Oldest Topiary Garden: Cumbria
Planning to be in the northwest corner of England up near the Scottish border next summer? Do pop in at Levens Hall, the world’s oldest topiary garden. The 9,500-acre estate, complete with a castle that started as a 13th century pele tower, is embraced by centuries-old topiaries that would wow even young Edward Scissorhands. levenshall.co.uk
Karen T. Bartlett is the travel editor of Neapolitan Family. Her feature, Destination Space, won the National Parenting Media Association’s 2022 Gold Award for Travel. She’s anxiously awaiting the release of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.